US-based packaging manufacturer Berry Global has announced Kevin Kwilinski as its next Chief Executive Officer of Berry, effective October 2, 2023.
Mr. Kwilinski currently serves as president and CEO of Multi-Color Corp., a provider of label solutions headquartered in Batavia, Ohio. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Fort Dearborn Company, a leading supplier of decorative labels for the beverage, food, household products, nutraceutical, paint and coatings sectors, which merged with Multi-Color in July 2021 with the backing of private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Mr. Kwilinski previously served as CEO of Paperworks Industries, where he guided the company’s growth by supporting an aggressive go-to-market strategy and simultaneously implemented continuous improvement processes that resulted in significant improvement in product quality, customer service levels and customer satisfaction.
Kevin Kwilinski’s first packaging CEO role began in 2009 at closure and container manufacturer Portola Packaging, where he successfully led the execution of a substantial value creation plan culminating in the sale of the business to Silgan Holdings. Prior to that, he spent 12 years at Graphic Packaging, where he served in number of positions across the organization. Mr. Kwilinski holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics from Greenville College and a Master’s degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.
“Mr. Kwilinski brings to Berry nearly three decades of experience in the packaging industry and a track record of driving operational excellence, expanding margins and managing complex global operations,” said the company in a statement.
In connection with this appointment, the Board has elected Stephen Sterrett, Lead Independent Director, as Chairman of the Board, also effective on October 2, 2023.
Berry’s current CEO, Tom Salmon, will retire from his roles in the company. He will remain with the Berry through the end of the calendar year in an advisory capacity to ensure a smooth transition.
“Following a comprehensive search process, the Board determined that Kevin is the ideal individual to guide Berry through its next phase of growth and value creation,” Mr. Sterrett said. “Kevin is a proven leader who knows our industry well. He has spent the last 15 years serving as the CEO of companies within the packaging space and, as an Indiana native, he understands the importance of Berry Global to the State. Kevin will be a great leader because he shares Berry’s values of teamwork, customer-focus and excellence, and his performance-driven leadership style directly aligns with Berry’s culture. He has distinguished himself over the course of his career as a disciplined operator with a focus on revenue growth and cost management. We are confident that he will be an outstanding CEO with the skills necessary to achieve our strategic objectives and accelerate shareholder value.”
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